Steel Bulkhead Bushings

[Phazed Out]

So bought a set of Oilite Front suspension bushings from someone for a discount, only to find that the 8 Bulkhead bushings were robbed. Apparently the price was reflected on this. I know i could order the 8 from Ulmer, but we are going riding tomorrow, and they won't be here in time. My dealer doesn't carry Oilite, and says he never heard of them. The original cheap plastic bushings are about gone, so there is no turning back. I just happen to be a machinist, and can turn out all 8 of the bulkhead bushings no problem, in about 20 minutes. The only concern is that they would be made from 1045 CFS (Mild steel). I have a bulkhead saver ready to put on, and added grease zerks to all 4 A-arms that will (should) pump grease to all the bushings, including the bulkhead bushings, front and rear. With the bulkhead saver installed, bolts and bushings pre-greased and the main bolts no longer able to spin, would there be any problem with metal on metal wear anymore? Keep in mind all the other bushings in the movable A-arms are oilite bushings. I'd appreciate any opinions, feedback, advice on this. Thanks

 

[74Nitro]

Go for it.

 

[chris189]

Steel will work just fine. The wear will be transferred to your bolts which are easy to replace anyway.
However, is it really that hard to get a roundstock chunk of oil impregnated bronze? It machines very easily. Call any general machine shop. They might have some.
The oilite material has been around for ages and is actually quite soft. It is just 100 times better than the plastic garbage from new. Only reason to use oilite is so that the bolts don't wear. With grease, your steel bushings should last much longer with a good polish.
Hope this helps. Cheers!

 

[twyztid]

Steel will work just fine. The wear will be transferred to your bolts which are easy to replace anyway.
However, is it really that hard to get a roundstock chunk of oil impregnated bronze? It machines very easily. Call any general machine shop. They might have some.
The oilite material has been around for ages and is actually quite soft. It is just 100 times better than the plastic garbage from new. Only reason to use oilite is so that the bolts don't wear. With grease, your steel bushings should last much longer with a good polish.
Hope this helps. Cheers!

I didn't think you could machine oil-impregnated bronze. They are made of a type of sintered bronze with pores. If you machine that, it closes the pores that allows the oil in them to come out.

 

[Phazed Out]

I didn't think you could machine oil-impregnated bronze. They are made of a type of sintered bronze with pores. If you machine that, it closes the pores that allows the oil in them to come out.

I think you can machine sintered bronze from bar stock, but it is recommended that you re-impregnate with oil afterwards. There are different processes to these bushings. I think the Oilite brand that Ulmer and Travis sell are made from a powder metallurgy type process with no machining, just forming and heating up in an oven, retaining the pores.

 

[maim]

you should be fine.

my old rx war that i sold my brother was put together without grease fittings and with a bulkhead saver. made 8 years before we had to replace the bulkhead a arm bolts as they wore instead of the bushings. put new ones in and added grease fittings and been fine for the last 5 years.

 

[Phazed Out]

you should be fine.

my old rx war that i sold my brother was put together without grease fittings and with a bulkhead saver. made 8 years before we had to replace the bulkhead a arm bolts as they wore instead of the bushings. put new ones in and added grease fittings and been fine for the last 5 years.

Was that with steel bushings too?

 

[maim]

no. the bolts wore with the oil lite bushings. found it in that we replaced a few bushings we thought where worn in the arm and was just as sloppy as what we pulled out.

 

[Phazed Out]

no. the bolts wore with the oil lite bushings. found it in that we replaced a few bushings we thought where worn in the arm and was just as sloppy as what we pulled out.

I’m surprised that your bolts wore out with the oilite.

I actually had a bolt wearing into the bulkhead of my Rx-1 due to the cheap factory bushings being non-existent. The weird part is that it didn’t oval out, it just made it a hair bigger diameter, but still round.

I guess my whole theory about the steel bushings, in the bulkhead only, wouldn’t really even see spinning friction with the bulkhead saver, just a little linear contact. The bushing ID are about .002” - .003” larger than the bolt. So a nice slip fit.